A Stamford Christmas Carol
by Artsy215
Summary: Charles Dickens familiar holiday tale, but the usual characters have been replaced with WWE superstars.
1. Default Chapter

A Stamford Christmas Carol

By: Judy

Summary: Charles Dickens famous story, but in my own way with WWE peoples in it instead of the traditional people. HHH is "Scrooge," Matt is sort of Tiny Tim, And some famous legends come back to guideour Scroogeto a better path.

Warning: Don't steal my shit. I'm just borrowing this from Charlie Dickens as many people have, including the Muppets. If this bears any resemblance to any other story written by anyone else, it is purely unintentional.

Chicago...

Our story opens in the vast expanse of the ever-crowded, bustling O'Hare airport of Chicago, Illinois. As it is Christmas time, many flights have been diverted, cancelled, delayed, or over-booked by hoards of stressed out individuals trying to get home to their families for the holidays. Among the crowd, a tall red-head stands dutifully beside a stack of black luggage reading a how-to book of southern holiday recipes. Luckily her flight is on time, and scheduled to begin boarding in just a few minutes.

"Hello? Matt? It's really noisy here. I can barely hear you." She yelled into her cell phone with her opposite ear covered. "Matt?"

"I'm here, It is a zoo there, isn't it? Is the flight still clear?" He yelled back.

"Yeah, I'm boarding in 10 minutes. Hang on, there's a call on the other line. Hello?" Matt waited patiently on the other end for her return. "What? What about Kansas City? Yeah, but there's a 4 hour delay cause of snow. I understand my position in…this can't wait till the new year? A children's hospital _and_ an animal clinic? Tomorrow is Christmas eve. I understand…okay. Happy Holidays." She sighed and clicked back to Matt. "Hello?"

"Hey, what's wrong? You sound upset." He knew instantly what was happening. It had happened many times before. He wasn't surprised.

"I have to go to Kansas City, but I swear I will try my best to hurry things up and get back there for Christmas day. Matt?"

"I'm here. I'll save some dinner for you and keep the tree lit till you're here. Amy? Hello?" Her phone died as she hurried to the ticketing agent to find a way to Kansas City.

Stamford...

"There, that wasn't so hard. I knew she would come around." The large man behind the desk smiled and leaned back into the leather chair with his feet perched up.

"Was it really necessary? She could have gone to a hospital and animal shelter closer to her home." Shane McMahon answered from across the room. "Missouri is a long ways from North Carolina, especially in winter."

"See, this is why I'm going to own this company one day, and you'll still be second in command, if you're lucky." He sat up and glared at the man with a larger, evil smirk.

"You don't own it yet. You're only in that chair because my sister is being forced to marry you. And pulling schedule changes like that one will keep you just where you are. And where you belong. You don't care, you just pretend."

"Pretending to care is part of the job, Shane-o-Mac. It's all about pretending. You and I know that better than anyone."

"Sadly, that is true. It's no fun pretending when you do it too often and for the wrong reasons." Shane picked up his brief case and moved for the office door.

"Shane?"

"Yeah, Trips?"

"You have to make a stop before you head home tonight." He flung an envelope across the room to Shane. "There's a try-out in Concord tonight. Your dad expects you to be there." He slid back into the leather seat and waited with his hands folded.

"Concord. Sure." Shane walked out and dropped the envelope into the trash. "Concord my ass. Merry Christmas, Mr. Scrooge." He knew it was a 3 hour drive from the office on a good day. However, there was 2 feet of snow outside on the cold New England roads and the trip just wouldn't be possible. "Driver, take me home?"

"Not Concord, sir? I have instructions to take you there."

"Hell no. Whatever he paid you, I'll double it and give you a free turkey for your family to take me home." He smiled and slid into the long, black limosene.

"Thank you, sir."


	2. A Stamford Christmas Carol Pt 2

Cameron...

Matt heard the phone ring from across the room and hopped over to it on his good leg. "You've reached the sexiest, one-legged man in the world. How can I help you today?"

"Hey Matt." Amy chuckled on the other end. "You're not one-legged. You'll get better soon."

"But I _am_ the sexiest man in the world."

"That may be true. I haven't decided. I hear there's some competition on this flight. These chubby, sausage and polka loving mid-westerners sure know how to party."

"So you're going along with this? You're nicer than I am. I would have told him to shove it." He laughed and fell back onto the couch.

"I would have too, but with all the cuts in the rosters lately, it just wouldn't be smart. If you want to be nosey, though…there's a small box at the top of the hallway closet with your name on it. You can't open it, but you can shake it around and all." She smiled. "I have to go. Bye."

"Amy? Bye." He sighed and put the phone down. The DVD player clock read 11:56 pm. "4 minutes to Christmas Eve. Who am I talking to? I'm alone, duh Matt."

Stamford...

Back up in Stamford, Connecticut, Triple H waited outside the WWE home offices for his valet to bring the car around. "Can't find good help these days. There's only 2 cars in the damn lot. His and mine." He gave up and walked along the shoveled path to the lot towards his car. "Whaahh! AHH!" He threw his arms up in the air as he slipped on a patch of ice and landed hard on his back. "Aw, shit. My suit!"

"Need a hand, pal?" A tall figure hovered over him, silhouetted by the street light in the background. "That vas a nasty spill, ya?" The tall man had a thick accent and a strong familiar scent. "You suck it up now. Baby."

Triple H took his hand to get up as the street lights burned out and they were left in nearly total darkness. "Yeah, thanks. Who are you?" He sniffed his hand after letting go. "Ugh, buddy, you reek of burnt sausages and tar."

"Ya! And dat's dhe only way to eat dem!" he let out a long loud laugh before stopping suddenly. The smell was strangely familiar.

Trips stared into his dark face and backed up a few steps to take in the long black coat and heavy boots. "You…can't be." He turned to leave, but the man appeared out of nowhere right in front of his face. "You're gone! You died! You can't be here!"

"Vat I teel you about that vord? Can't? CAN'T! No such ting!"

"You're crazy old man. You don't know who you're talking to!" He tried to run again, but was stopped by the large figure once more.

"I tell you Paul. You listen now! No such ting as CAN'T! You beleef dis now! You veel be visit by tree ghosts before Chreestmas mornink!" he boomed and raised his hands.

"WHAT? There's no such thing as ghosts man!" He tried to stand his ground, but inside, he was shrinking like a whipped dog.

"LEESIN NOW! Tree ghosts come visit you and show you de path to greatness! Heed these figures and you vill become great man. Ignore their advise and you will pay ultimate sacrifice. NOW GO! And remember my words!" With that, the figure lifted his arms once more and Trips found himself back on the ground in the lot.

"OH! Oh, Mr. Levesque, I am SO sorry. I have your car. I couldn't get the engine turned over, sir." The young valet helped him to his feet before dusting the snow off his coat. "I'm so sorry."

"Did you see him? DID YOU?" The valet was shaking in his boots.

"Uh, no sir. Who?"

"KOWALSKI! He was here!"

"Killer Kowalski, sir? No. I believe he passed on a few years ago. Perhaps, his son or a relative…?"

"Nevermind. What do you know? You're just a parking attendant." Trips scoffed and slid into his Mercedes.


	3. A Stamford Christmas Carol pt3

A Stamford Christmas Carol pt. 3

Cameron...

"Matt? Are you awake?" Amy spoke into the answering machine. "Matt? Anyways, I'm in Kansas City. It's about 3 am here, so I guess about 4 or 5 am back home? I'm gonna get this done as fast as possible and be on my way back to you. I miss you. Bye."

"AMY NO! Don't hang up!" Matt fell onto the living room floor hard as he dove for the telephone. "Ah, shit." He heard footsteps coming up the walk and rolled over. "Who's there?"

"Relax, it's just me, boy. Ready to go chop down a tree?" Mr. Hardy strolled in from the snow and dusted himself off.

"I can't, dad. I can't go hiking like this."

"Nonsense, it's tradition. We always go kill ourselves a tree Christmas Eve morning." He laughed. "Aww, I'm kiddin' son. I brought help." He waved to the door as a pair of younger men stumbled inside.

"Jingle bells! Matty smells! He's got a broken leg! Oh what fun it is to tease him…uh…Shan?" He couldn't think of the words.

"Let's go tap a keg!" Shannon Moore and Shane-o Helms sang loudly. "Merry Christmas Matt! We're home for a couple days to help you and your dad out. Where's Amy? She's not in yet?" Shannon asked.

"No, she's not. She skipped a charity event to be with me during surgery, so management asked her to swing by a couple on her way home to make it up. Jerks." He shrugged. "Well, enough of that. Go bring me back a tree! I want a big one." He smiled.

"Oh, no boy. Get his boots, he's coming along. We'll strap you to the sled and pull you." His dad ordered as Shane-o went to find his coat and gloves.

(If anyone is reading this, please post a review? Thanks)


	4. A Stamford Christmas Carol pt4

Stamford...

Trips walked into his large house and headed for the kitchen. He needed some ice for his head and a stiff drink, again...for his head. His hands shook nervously as he poured a large glass of rum and wrapped some ice in a towel. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Kowalski hovering over him, so he went to the den to watch television and rest while he drank.

He slouched into the overstuffed, black, leather couch and hit play on the VCR by accident. "What's this?" An old tape began to come into focus on the plasma television screen. "I didn't even know we _had_ a VCR." He blinked as he drank his rum and watched the fuzzy images in front of him. The date in the corner read December 24, 1985. "Shit, this _is_ old. Heh, lookit me. High school wrestling champ." He smiled slightly and began to doze off in his comfy seat.

"Wake up! Wake up, Paul! It's Christmas!" Huh? Steph?" He groaned and looked around.

"No, it's not Steph." A female voice answered in a thick Texas accent. "Git your ass up."

"Don't play with me, woman. What time is it?" He looked around as his eyes began to focus. He stared blankly at the blonde woman in her flowing white dress with fur trim.

"6 am…December 24th 1985 sleepy head." Trips opened his eyes wide to see Ms. Debra staring down at him. "Recognize this place?"

"Holy, shit."

"1324 Concord Terrace, apartment 24a. Home sweet home." Ms. Debra smiled. "They can't hear or see you, sweetie. If you try to touch them, you'll go right through it." She chuckled as Trips tried to take a cookie off a plate by the fake silver Christmas tree in the corner. "We're you a good boy this year?"

"I, I don't remember." He whispered and looked around.

"Let's see. You were the school wrestling champion. That's good, but…"

"But what? What did I do? I was a good athlete."

"Trips, you broke a kid's leg the day before a meet so he had to forfeit the rest of the season. Jimmy Myers? Ring a bell?"

"Jimmy? That was a total accident. I offered for him to play football with us at the park. I can't help that he was clumsy and fell like that." He shrugged. "Look at me. I was a good lookin' kid back then."

"You were alright. Look at your little sister Alice. She was adorable." Debra smiled. "Oh, here come the parents! Or just your mama. Time for presents." She sat in the corner with him and watched.

"_Mommy, is daddy coming over today?" Alice asked as she yawned._

"_Yes, in a few hours. That's why you get to open your gifts so early. Come on, open them up." Ms. Levesque smiled and handed out the boxes._

"This was so long ago. I can't believe I'm seeing this." Trips whispered.

"Why are you whispering? They can't hear you!" Debra laughed loudly. "Let's go forward a little, shall we?" She raised her hand and moved it in a slow motion across her body. Trips watched in wonder as the action in the room sped up as if he were fast forwarding a movie. "There we go."

"_No honey, your brother isn't coming back. You are, but he's staying with daddy. You can take your doll if you want." Mrs. Levesque helped the young girl get her coat and boots on while her brother sadly placed his presents by the door with his suitcase._

"_Why do I have to live with dad? I want to stay with you, mom," Young Paul asked sadly._

"_He can take better care of you than I can right now. It's what's best for you. He has a nice new private school picked out where you can play football and wrestle and really make something of yourself. I'll see you every chance I get." She hugged them both and walked them out the door to the waiting car. _

"I didn't want to go, but it was the right thing to do." Trips shrugged. "Who knows what I could have become if I had stayed here."

"You mean a young man who cared about his sick mother and sister? Yeah, that's really something to be ashamed of." Debra nodded and passed the time again. "Let's go a head a few years. 1989."

"Wait? Sick?" He was confused.

"_Are you coming to see us this year, Paul? We miss you."_

"_I miss you too. Um, put mom back on the phone?"_

"_Hello? Paul? Hi honey, are you coming home? Should I make extra food?" Mrs. Levesque asked with a hopeful voice._

"_I really don't know yet. Some friends in Boston asked me to come down and visit. And dad asked me to have dinner with him and Sharon."_

"_Oh, okay. I understand. Let me know if your plans change. Study hard for your final exams and everything. Bye." She hung up and shook her head._

"_He's not coming, mom? We never see him anymore. I think he's embarrassed. The last time he came here, he only stayed an hour and he wouldn't even sit on our couch." Alice sighed._

"_He's busy with college and his sports. I'm sure he wants to be here, but he's got a lot to take care of. It's better this way. Less to worry about, so there's less to do. I need to rest. Wake me up in a few hours to take my medicine?"_

"Wait? Mom was sick? What's wrong with her? I never knew she was sick."

"You never asked." Debra responded and looked up at his face. "She had cancer, Paul."

He looked shaken up. "But she got past it. She's still alive."

"Alice took care of her. Let's look at Alice for a moment." Debra waved her hand and put them in Alice's bedroom. "What do you see, Paul?"

He looked around the room slowly. It was an average sized bedroom, but compared to his room at his father's house, Alice lived in a closet. There was a chair in the corner with a waitress uniform draped carefully over it. The bed was made neatly with an old looking doll rested on the pillows. There were a few posters taped to the walls from rock bands, but the room was lacking something.

"What's missing? No pictures from dances or parties. No pictures of friends or boyfriends. She's how old now? 15? She doesn't seem to have much fun for a girl her age. She spent all her time taking care of your mother, so she never got to do what the other kids were doing. What do you think, Paul?"

He frowned and looked at the doll. "If she wanted to, she could have. I want to leave." He set the doll back down and looked at Debra. "Come on, let's go."


	5. A Stamford Christmas Carol

A Stamford Christmas Carol pt 5

((Just a note: I know Deb isn't dead, but she looks like the right girl for the job to me. I dunno why, but her appearance says "fairy" to me)))

"Fine." She waved her hand and they arrived at a party in a large apartment in Boston. "This looks like fun. Lots of beer, wine, people in ties kissing each others behinds. Kinda makes me sad I never went to college. Wait...no...it doesn't." she shrugged. "There you are. The girls seem to like you."

"_Hey Paul. I got some mistletoe in my coat pocket in the bedroom. Care to see it?" A tall blonde smiled at him._

"_Nah, that's okay. I got someone back home. Christmas isn't the best time to cheat on people." He smirked. "Call me in March, though. If your free."_

"_Sure, sweetie."_

"Who's that guy there? The one about to talk to you?"

Paul looked closer. "Mitch, he was on a few of my sports teams. He was my best friend. Died in a car accident." He answered. "Just after this New Years."

"_PAULY! What's up buddy? Have a beer. I just saw you turn down Kim Laney. You have some serious issues if you said no to her. She's so hot."_

"_If you want her, go get her. I'm not interested. How many have you had?" He tried to get his drunk friend's attention._

"_Huh? Shit, I lost count at 5. How many did you have? Like, 1? You need to loosed up more." Mitch slurred and handed him another beer._

"_No, I'm fine. I should probably go. I have to see my family later and it's a long drive. Take care, pal."_

"_Whatever man. Merry Christmas." Mitch leaned over and puked into a bucket beside the couch._

"Now tell me, cause I missed college, so I don't know. Is this really better than seeing your family at Christmas? You'd rather hang out at a frat party with a bunch of drunken rich kids than see your baby sister?" Debra asked.

"It wasn't like that. You don't understand anything about it, so don't pretend you do. When you come from…when you have money, you have to keep an image and…"

"An image? Some image, Paul. I have one more thing to show you." Before he could protest, they appeared in a cold warehouse with a shifty looking ring in the center surrounded by equally shifty workout equipment.

"Why are we here? This place is a dump."

"This dump is where Hunter started and Paul disappeared." Debra replied as she sat with him on a weight bench.

"_It's late Paul. We should get out of here before they lock us in. I have a surprise for you at home."_

"_Just 10 more minutes, then we can get some dinner and go home." He yelled across the room and continued lifting with his own reflection in a wall mirror._

"_Sure. I'm just gonna talk to Sean over here, then." She nodded and walked into a side office. "Hey, are you going to New York tonight?"_

"_Yeah, as soon as he's done and I can lock up. You should come with me. It's gonna be great." He smiled._

"_What? No, I have plans."_

"_What plans, Joanie? Watching him watch himself? I know you get along, but you can do better. I have a friend named Vinny."_

"_Vinny? What's he look like?" She chuckled._

"_He's only 5 feet 4 and he smells like salami, but he's got a great sense of humor."_

"_You're insane!" She laughed and pushed him back playfully. "I'm 6 feet tall! He would feel and look ridiculous beside me!"_

Trips could see his younger self lifting the weights, but he had stopped. All his attention was on the window to the office. "She looks good. I haven't seen her smile like that in years."

_Younger Paul dropped the weight he was carrying and picked up his bag. "Hey, time to go. You wanna eat, right?" The pair in the office nodded and followed him out. "See ya' next week Sean."_

"_Yeah, have a Merry Christmas. Bye Joanie." He walked off to his car._

"_Bye. He's going to New York to see his family. He offered for us to come along." She shrugged._

Debra waved her hand and they appeared in the backseat of the Toyota Paul was driving. They watched the other pair enter the car and slam the doors shut. "You're in a bad mood tonight, Trips." Debra chuckled.

"_He doesn't want us to come along." Paul answered and drove the car from the lot quickly._

"_What do you mean? He just asked me in the office if we would come with him to…"_

"_He asked YOU! Not me, Joanie. He flirts with you constantly and it makes me sick. He doesn't want to be my friend, he can't stand me. He just wants you." Paul growled._

"_That's not true. You have been friends longer than you have both known me. I'm not gonna come between that."_

"_Then why do you flirt back?"_

"_I do not. That's an awful thing to say on Christmas." She was getting very upset._

"_I don't want you to talk to him anymore when I'm not around. I don't trust him. If he tries anything, I'll break his arm." He threatened._

"_Pull over! Stop the car, right now!" Even though they were in the middle of nowhere in Massachusetts, he stopped. "Listen to me, I am a grown woman and I can do what I please! When you and I first met, we were just friends for a long time. In that time, I also hung out with Sean and we slept together, just as friends, nothing more. He is my friend just as much as you are, and I care about you both. But don't you start acting like I'm some weak little girl who can't handle herself."_

_The clouds of steam from Paul's breath clouded the air in the freezing car as he listened and grew more angry by the second. "You slept with him? You slept with Sean and you never told me? GET OUT OF MY CAR!"_

"_How am I gonna get home?"_

"_I DON'T CARE! CALL SEAN! NOW GET THE HELL OUT!" He opened the door and nearly pushed her out physically before speeding off down the dark road._

"That's it. I have seen enough. Take me home right now! Back to 2004 to my own house in Greenwich where I can drink my rum and sleep in my recliner!"

"FINE! God, you're the most stubborn man I have ever seen." She waved her hand and disappeared.

To be continued...please review :P


	6. A Stamford Christmas Carol

A Stamford Christmas Carol pt 6

Greenwich...

"Paul? Wake up?"

"Huh? Debra?" He groaned.

"Who the hell is Debra?" Stephanie shrieked.

"Huh? Oh, it was a dream. Never mind. What time is it?"

"11am. Get dressed. We have to go to my parent's Christmas Eve lunch. I swear, I know this engagement isn't ideal, but you don't have to call me other women's names, Paul." She stomped off to her room leaving him confused.

"It was a dream. None of it was real." He tried to convince himself as he got up and headed for the stairs.

Kansas City...

Amy smiled as she read Mick Foley's Christmas book to the children at the Kansas City Children's hospital. They loved the pictures and were more than excited to see her there on Christmas Eve. "Okay kids, you all have a happy holiday and stay strong. I have to get going now." She hugged a few of the kids and gathered her things to leave.

"Thank you for coming Ms. Lita. It really means a lot to the kids to have visitors this time of year." A nurse smiled. "So you're heading home now?"

"Actually, I'm not sure. It's snowing now, so I should go straight to the airport, but I have another meeting first which I may have to cancel. Our schedules are always so up in the air, it's hard to say where I'll be in five minutes. Thank you for having me. I'll tell Matt all about it." She quickly threw on her coat and tried to get out to her waiting cab before she was held up again. "Can we put on the weather report, please? Thanks so much."

"_Kansas City airport is reporting minor delays on instate flights. This is expected this time of year, but we can only expect more nationwide delays once the storm moves in this afternoon…"_

"Turn it off please. Can we just go straight to the airport? I really need to get home." She nearly begged before calling the animal shelter to reschedule her appearance.

To be continued...


	7. A Stamford Christmas Carol

A Stamford Christmas Carol pt 7

Greenwich...

"I'm sorry I didn't eat anything at the lunch, Steph, but I wasn't hungry." Trips apologized as they drove through the snow in their Escalade. "There's a diner up here, we can stop."

"You can't eat my parent's food, but you can eat at a crappy diner on the side of the road. You're really something." She spat and looked away out her window. She stayed where she was when Trips went inside to get his food.

"I'll take that to go. I'll be back in a minute. I need to use the men's room." He walked into the restroom and stood at the urinal to do his business when the lights went out. "What the hell?"

"Pauly?"

"Who's there? Look, a men's room isn't the most polite place to ask for an autograph, pal." He was getting nervous.

"I don't want an autograph, Pauly. We have some business to take care of." The door to one of the stalls swung open and an enormous figure stepped out in a long, red, velvet robe. "I'm going to show you what's going on out in the real world this Christmas. The Christmas present."

"Andre'? Now I know I hit my head too hard."

"Don't be scared, I won't hurt you. Just do what I tell you." He smiled and transported them to the parking lot outside the diner. "Stephanie. She was like a daughter to me and look how hurt she is. I should hurt you for that, but I won't."

"_I know daddy, I'm sorry. He wasn't feeling well this morning, but I made him come along anyway. I'll make sure he eats something and gets some rest."_

"She cares for you, but you don't care back. She's a sweet girl, so why would you hurt her the way you do?"

"I never laid a hand on her! I'd never hit a woman!"

"You don't have to hurt her physically. You have done enough to her emotionally and mentally to last a lifetime, Pauly."

Trips bit his lip in frustration. "Can we see something else?"

"Of course. Let's go south, where it's warmer. I don't like the cold." Within a few seconds, they were standing on the back porch of a brand new house in the pine forests of North Carolina.

"Where are we? Appalachia? I don't like the whole Deliverance thing, Andre'."

"Get a grip. We're in the rural south. Some people call this home. Yes, Pauly, home is not always a mansion with servants and 20 rooms. Look inside of things more often, instead of just the outside. There's so much more to enjoy."

Trips nodded and walked through the glass doors into the living room. "I guess it's not a bad place. Kind of cozy."

"_Put the star on it, Shan. Then light the whole thing when you're done. It makes the whole idea more flashy." Matt smiled from the couch where he sat wrapping presents with his leg up on the coffee table. "Put these under it. I want everything to be nice when she comes home."_

"_It will be, Matt. She's gonna love it. Where was she when she called?" Shane asked. He was on the floor trying to operate the digital camera._

"_She was somewhere over Kentucky, so she'll be here soon. I really need her here with me." He added the last part so the other guys could barely hear him. "With Jeff away at our Grandparent's house and Dad at aunt Sally's, there's no family around."_

"_No family? What the hell are we then? You know, I have relatives, too. Lots of them, but I'm here with your broken-legged ass trying to be a good friend!" Shan yelled. "Like it or not, we are family and we have been since we were kids. So deal with it, or I'll break your other leg." He chuckled._

"_I think you had enough egg nog, Shan. Is that a car?" he perked up and tried to see out the window._

"What's she doing home? She's supposed to be in Missouri!" Trips exclaimed. "I'm gonna have her ass on Monday."

"Calm down and just watch." Andre' smiled.

"_Hello? Anybody home?" Amy yelled from the front walk. She dragged her luggage in and dropped it in the hall. "Matt?"_

"_AMY!" Shan and Shane yelled happily as they ran and hugged her. "We missed you!" _

"_You saw me 2 days ago. Get a grip guys. Where's Matt?"_

"_He's in the living room. We'll get your bags."_

"_Amy? I'm in here!" He smiled when she came into the room. "Come here?"_

_She fell on the couch beside him and showered him with hugs and kisses. "I thought I was going to miss Christmas. I couldn't stand the thought of not being home tonight."_

"_How did you get here so soon?" He helped her out of her coat and gloves._

"_I was a naughty girl. I skipped the animal shelter. Their gonna get mad, but if I stayed, I would have been snowed in and there were no rooms in the hotels." She shrugged._

"SHE WHAT? She knew where she was supposed to be!"

"Can't you shut up for a minute? Something special is about to happen."

"_Come in the kitchen and eat. We made lots of food." Matt smiled and hopped along behind her with Shannon and Shane. "Sit here."_

"_It feels so good to be home for the first Christmas in our new house. I haven't had a real holiday in my own house since I was a little girl. Thank you guys so much for this." She smiled brightly and looked around at the food and the lights._

_After the main course was finished, Matt waved to Shannon to get something from the fridge. "Ah, I know we have pie and all, but I made you something this morning." He smiled. "Your favorite."_

"This is boring, Andre'"

"I know I said I wouldn't hurt you, but I swear, I will if you don't shut up Pauly."

"_Matt, you made me strawberry shortcake? Why? You shouldn't be standing up on your leg. It looks perfect." She was so amazed by the dessert, she didn't realize the other guys had left the room._

"_It's perfect, like you. Take a big bite and just enjoy the moment."_

_She nodded and broke off a big piece with her fork. "Mhh, something…"_

"_What?"_

_She spit out the piece in her napkin. "There's something hard in it. I hurt my tooth."_

"_What was it?" he looked through the half chewed food while she checked her front teeth for chips in the reflection of a knife. "I found it."_

"_You did? What was it?" When she looked back at him, he was on his good knee holding a cake coated ring out to her. "Matty?"_

_To be continued..._


	8. A Stamford Christmas Carol

A Stamford Christmas Carol pt 8

"See, this is what is supposed to happen on Christmas. Joy, love, family, suprises." Andre gushed.

"Yeah, I see it. Yay for them. Next?"

"You are a very sad man, Pauly. You're no fun."

"Neither are you." He grumbled. "Are we gonna see something else, or are we going home?"

Andre' waved his hand and the pair arrived back in Massachusetts to the lobby of a children's hospital in Boston.

"_Thanks for coming today Joanie. We didn't think you would have the time." A tall, handsome doctor smiled at her. He looked like a character off of a soap opera._

"_It's no problem. I didn't have any plans and I always make time for the kids. Is Alice here?"_

"She still talks to Alice? My sister?" He wondered out loud.

"Yes, not everyone severs all ties on a yearly basis."

"_Hey, it's good to see you. You look great." Joanie smiled and hugged her._

"_I'm surprised you came. I missed you. The kids are in there. They are dying to see you."_

"_Okay. Have you talked to Paul?" She whispered pulling on a hospital jacket. "I saw him last week on T.V. He won again. Big surprise."_

"_No, I called him to wish him a merry Christmas and tell him the good news, but he never called back. I miss him sometimes. Wait…no…that's just indigestion."_

_Joanie chuckled and walked into the children's hospital ward with her. "Too bad Paul is such a jerk. I've been talking to some old friends from the company and they say he's turned into a tyrant. If he doesn't like something about someone, he cans them without a second thought."_

"_That's just like him. Everything his way." Alice scoffed._

"_I remember back in the day when Shane had the run of things. He was a sweetie. He would at least give you a months notice before giving the boot, so you could tell your family or get other work. Speaking of family, how's married life treating you these days?"_

Trips was shocked at the way the girls spoke about him and his business strategies. The words from Joanie's mouth stung him hard, but he tried to hide it. "She's married? When did this happen? Nobody tells me these things."

"That handsome doctor you glared at when Joanie walked in. That's the dad. They got married in October."

"She didn't invite me." Paul pouted.

"She did. You're a jerk. You told her you were too busy to talk to her that day, so she let it go and agreed to have a small wedding. 10 people all together came to see them. Mostly his family."

He thought a minute. "He's only marrying her cause she's pregnant. I'll kick his ass." He growled and tried to punch the doctor.

Andre' laughed. "No touching, Pauly. Remember? Your hands go right through them. And who are you to be angry over a sham of a marriage, Mr. McMahon.? You still don't get it. They actually _love_ each other."

"Good. I'd have to track his ass down and hurt him, otherwise. And that would take a lot of time." He nodded. "Are we gonna see anything else?"

They walked into the children's room where Joanie and Alice played with the sick children.

"_See, isn't this fun? Don't you want one too, Joanie?" Alice smiled as she tickled a small girl with a tube up her nose._

"_I do, but you need a man to have a baby. I don't want to be a single mom. Men are in short supply these days. Decent ones, anyway. I'll just be an aunt to little Pauly and spoil him for you. How much longer? 4 months?"_

"_Yeah, 4 and a half months. If you change your mind, I have a friend at the fertility clinic who can help you out. He's cute."_

"_Sure." Joanie laughed and sat down to read a book to the kids. _

"She's not with Sean anymore?"

"She never was. Like I said, you're a jerk."

"I'm not a jerk. Things happen. It's better this way." He tried to convince himself.

"You just keep telling yourself that, Pauly. Would you like to go home now?"

Trips watched Joanie with the kids and felt something inside himself. "Yeah, let's go. I want to go home."


	9. A Stamford Christmas Carol

A Stamford Christmas Carol pt 9

Greenwich...

Andre nodded and Trips woke up on the floor of the men's room in the diner.

"Paul? Wake up! You passed out or something. We're you mugged? Where's your wallet?" Stephanie shrieked as she checked him over with a police officer.

"I'm fine. Get off me. I slipped and hit my head…or something. My wallet is right here." He grumbled and stumbled out of the diner with Steph behind him.

"Maybe you should talk to a doctor? You've been in and out all day Paul. I'm worried."

"I'M FINE!" He growled so close to her face their noses nearly touched. "Forget it. It doesn't matter." He climbed into the SUV and started the engine. "I'm fine. We have to stop at the mall. I have some presents to pick up." He answered more quietly and squeezed her hand.

Cameron...

"It's snowing!" Amy smiled and looked out the back window. "Come on Matt. Come out on the porch?" She waited patiently for him as he hopped out on his crutches. "It's so pretty."

"It is." He agreed and wrapped an arm around her waist. "Are you happy with me, Amy?" He asked suddenly.

"What do you mean? Of course I am. We're getting married, Matty. Why would you ask such a thing?" She was worried at the tone of his voice.

"I spoke to a doctor the other day. I went to a leg specialist in Raleigh. He said I need a few more months to heal up. I'd go the company doctor, but that costs a fortune and management won't pay for it anymore."

"That's not too bad. You'll be back on the road by summer. Then..."

"After I heal..." He stopped her. "He recommends that I don't wrestle anymore." Amy looked shocked while Matt looked almost heartbroken. "If I can't be on the road, we can't be together as much. Do you still want to be with me, Amy? If I'm not a wrestler?"

"Matt, don't ever say that. I said the same thing when my neck was broken and you told me to never think that way. I would love you and want to be with you no matter what you do for a living. But you always have been and always will be a wrestler. No broken leg, or arm, or neck can take that from you." She kissed him softly and walked him back inside out of the cold.

Stamford...

Trips cell phone rang as he banged around his kitchen looking for things. "Ah, shit...hello?"

"Hello, is this Triple H from the WWE? This is Melinda Bates from the Boston Children's Center."

"Yes, that's me. What can I help you with? Dammit! Oh, sorry. I burnt my finger on a cookie pan."

"It's okay, sir. We wanted to thank you for the donation you made this afternoon. The children are beyond happiness. There should be more people in the world like you."

"Donation? What donation?" He asked confused.

"Don't be modest, sir. I know with the size of your wallet, this seems like nothing, but to these children, it means the world. Have a merry Christmas." Melinda hung up leaving Trips baffled.

"Can I give you a hand?" Steph asked pulling on an oven mitt. "Who was that on the phone? Business?"

"Something like that. Did we donate something today? I don't remember anything about a children's hospital."

Steph smirked. "The Boston Children's Center recieved a truck load of toys today.I put your name on the papers for you while you shopped in the mall. You didn't say what you wanted for Christmas, so I gave you what you like best."

"What's that?" He questioned.

"You love to take credit for other people's efforts. Doesn't this gift make you happy?" She stared at him.

"I don't know what makes me happy anymore."

"Paul? You don't look so good. What are you talking about?"

"Do you believe in ghosts?"

"You should go lie down. I think the cold weather is going to your head. I'll finish with these cookies. Yes, I can bake cookies. Even princesses can find their way around a kitchen." She pushed him back gently and got to work.

Paul Shrugged and walked to his bedroom. "There's no such thing as ghosts. Now she hates you _and_ she thinks your crazy."


	10. A Stamford Christmas Carol

Chapter 10

Greenwich…

Shane McMahon sat with his mother in the parlor and swirled a glass of wine. He stared at a book shelf as if he were in a daze.

"Shane? I think you've had enough wine this evening. You've been staring like that for nearly a half hour." Linda observed. She was always very aware of her son's behavior and any changes occur. "Shane?"

"Hmm? Oh, sorry mom. I barely touched this one. Or the one before it."

"Is something on your mind?" She patted the leather sofa for him to join her.

"Yeah, but it's nothing we haven't talked about before." He sat gently, but kept as much room between them as possible. "Same old things."

Linda nodded. There was one topic of conversation between them for nearly a year that plagued Shane's mind. The issues behind it involving his father and the company hurt him deeply. "I know sweetie. Your dad is just trying to do what is best for the company. One man can't run the whole show. It takes a team. Just keep up the hard work and he'll see how much you deserve your job."

"I just don't understand him. I'm his son. I know I have made some…choices…in my life, but I'm still his blood, mom. Some choices I have made haven't been the best, but we all make mistakes. Some choices aren't even choices at all. When you're backed into a corner, it's no longer a choice." He sighed. "Why does he pick Paul over me? Paul's not part of this family."

"You know how your father grew up. He sees things one way and he won't change his mind. He loves you, but he's afraid, Shane. He's got a lot to think about and with the state of public relations in the company, some things just have to be done now to make it better later."

"I know, mom. Merry Christmas." Shane kissed her cheek and picked up his coat on the way out.

Stamford…

Paul tossed and turned in his bed as he tried to sleep. The three ghosts that had already visited him passed in and out of his dreams warning him of the final ghost to come. The ghost of Christmas Future. He woke suddenly and sat straight up in the bed struggling to catch his breath. "Shit. Just a dream. No ghosts. Just dreams." He mumbled.

He glanced around the dark room at the heavy velvet drapes and dark wooden furniture. Slowly, the drapes began to change shape and color. The tall doors of his wardrobe closet began to rattle along with the small items on his nightstand. The temperature in the room grew colder until Trips could see his own breath in front of his face. "There's no ghosts. I'm dreaming again." He whispered pulling the blankets up around himself.

"Paul." A deep, moaning voice called. "Paul, it is time."

Paul stared in shock as the curtains around his large Victorian windows broke from their supports and rose from the floor to take the shape of a black hooded figure with a wooden staff. He crawled backwards on the bed as far as he could to avoid the ominous being. "Who are you? Are you Death? Am I…dead?"

The figure shook its head from side to side slowly and raised a bony, skinless hand from under its shrouds to curl a finger at him. "Come. There is much to see, Paul."

Paul paused for a second before pulling on his robe and reluctantly following the large ghost. "The future?"

Again the figured answered without words and lifted his large staff into the air. After bringing it down with a thunderous crash on the hard wood floors, Paul found himself in another place and time.

To be continued...


	11. A Stamford Christmas Carol

Chapter 11

Beside the Ghost of Christmas Future, Paul stood with uncertainty. The air around him was freezing cold, but they were inside an office and the people moving about didn't wear any coats or extra clothing to keep warm. "Where are we, Ghost?"

"The former Titan Towers." He replied in a deep moan raising his skeleton hand for Paul to watch the scene unfold around him.

_Several men in grey jumpsuits moved in and around the room moving furniture out while a group of older men and a few women sat around an oval table sorting papers. "I don't know what your father was thinking, Mr. McMahon. These tax papers are a complete mess. It's going to take my team a month at least to sort through it all." A suited man scolded._

"_It wasn't my father who caused this whole mess, so don't blame him. You just take care of it the best you can. If there is any problem, you know where to reach me. I have to take this call, excuse me." Shane stood and walked to a quiet corner to answer his cell phone. "Hello?"_

"What's going on? Why is it the "former" Titan Towers?" Paul was worried and confused as he watched everyone, yet the ghost did not answer him.

"_Hello. How's the weather there? Rainy? I'll be there to join you soon. Once all of this mess is taken care of. I know, I can't take it here anymore. All the papers and files, and years of problems are finally over. Okay, have fun in Florida. Bye." He hung up and went back to the meeting. "If that is all for today, gentlemen, I will be going now."_

"We folded? How can the company fold? We own half the world!"

The Ghost brought his staff down hard on the marble office floor, transporting them to a familiar farm house in North Carolina. Paul was waved down a short hallway by the figure as he peered into the bedrooms. In a rear bedroom, he saw Amy, several years older wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and matching jeans. They looked much too large for her, but she didn't seem to mind. She twanged away a song on a guitar about open wounds as she sniffled.

"_Help me heal these wounds_

_They been open for way to long_

_Help me fill this hole_

_Even though this is not your fault_

_That I'm open and I'm bleeding_

_All over your brand new rug._

_And I need someone to help me sew them…_

_I need someone to help me fill them…_

_I need someone to help me close them up._

_That song was for you. I know it was one of your favorites. I miss you Matty. I don't know what to do without you. I want to stay here, but I can't. Meg and I are going to visit my friends in London for a week, then we're moving into a small house in Georgia." She spoke into the air in the nearly empty room._

"Matt died? How? He was so strong. Emotionally, physically."

"_Mommy? What are you doing?" A small voice asked from the door. "I like that song."_

_Amy stood up and put the guitar away. "Just talking to your daddy. Is that his t-shirt your wearing?"_

"_It's really big." The girl smiled. "Mommy? Uncle Shannon is sick with the flu. Is he gonna have a hardtack like daddy?"_

"_What? Oh, no sweety." Amy picked the girl up and carried her into her own room. "Daddy's heart was sick for a long time. When he got the flu, he got more sick and it was his time to go. Uncle Shannon is going to be fine."_

"_Somebody say my name?" Shannon smiled poking his head into the room._

"_Hey! You look better. Meg, stay here, I'm gonna go talk with Uncle Shan." Amy smiled and walked out to the kitchen with him. "She thinks your dying. She's so confused. I don't know what to tell her."_

"_The truth. It's better to tell her how it is, than to mislead her and make her angry later. I'm sad about the company folding, but what can you do? I'm an art teacher now. You're a mom and a hell of a store manager. Time goes on, Amy."_

"_I never thought a person could die of a broken heart. You never know how much a broken heart hurts until you have one yourself. He wasn't the same once his knee blew out, but he tried to hide it. He wanted to be strong for us and Meg. God, I miss him, Shan." Amy began to cry a little._

"_Hey, it's okay, girlie. You need to let it out."_

"Ghost, I have seen enough here. Let's go someplace else?" Trips felt him self grow more confused and slightly emotional.

"Yes."

_The Ghost moved them to a small church way out on a dirt road surrounded by trees. He walked in slowly and paused at the sight of a casket at the altar. A handful of people stood on one side of the room talking softly while a woman in black sniffled from the front pew._

"_He was a good man, but he had a lot of hardships in his life. He overcame so much. It is very sad." One man whispered._

"_Yes, it is tragic. I thought more people would come. Did the family ask for privacy from the local media?"_

"_Yes, he was a…private man." A woman replied as she searched for the right words. "Kept his circle of friends very close. Parents passed on several years ago."_

"_That his wife there, then?" A man asked._

"_Yes. Poor girl."_

"Matt was a popular guy. It's a shame nobody came to the service. He was kinda private with his feelings, but he had loads of friends."

The Ghost lifted his hand and pointed toward the casket, instructing Paul to move closer.

_As he stepped forward, the woman in the front row said her goodbyes one last time and turned toward them to leave down the center aisle. She wiped her eyes with a handkerchief and tried to keep her head up under the brim of an enormous black church hat. She passed Paul and the Ghost easily before stepping out to the parking lot._

"Steph? That was nice of her to come all this way for Matt's funeral. STEPH!" He tried to call her name, but she was unable to hear him. "Steph?"

_Another car pulled up outside and a tall, slender woman stepped out with an equally handsome man. "We'll just stay a minute, then we can leave. He was my brother. If I don't say good bye now, I won't get a chance later."_

"Matt didn't have any sisters." He looked up at the ghost's hidden face. "Who's funeral _is_ this, Ghost?"

Once again, the ghost pointed toward the casket and followed Paul up the aisle. "Look."

Paul swallowed hard and stepped slowly toward the shiny, black box at the altar of the church. A chill overcame his body as he went numb and felt sick to his stomach. "No." He stared down into the casket at the nearly unrecognizable figure who seemed too real to be dead. The bulk of the muscles he had spent so many years working on had shrunk to a more human size. His face was narrow and pale with wrinkles surrounding the eyes and cheeks. The hair was cut short to his ears and silvery gray instead of the healthy blonde color it formerly was. "THIS CAN'T BE! NO!" He cried as he fell to the floor in front of the coffin. "Is this how it _is_ going to be, Ghost? Or how it _might_ be?"

The Ghost towered over him holding the staff in the air. The ground around them swirled with thick black smoke as the church grew so dark, the walls were barely visible.

"Please? Tell me, Ghost? Is there still time to fix this, or will I die young and alone with no children? PLEASE? TELL ME!" He begged.

"Paul, this is only the future that _may_ be. This is the future yet to come, so it has not yet been decided. This is only one possible outcome for your life. If you change your ways and try to be a more giving, caring person, the outcome may be different. However, if you continue on your current path, only darkness will follow." He growled.

"I understand. I will be a better person. I promise." He nodded and tried to get to his feet as the Ghost brought the staff down one last time and they appeared back in Paul's bedroom where they had left. "I have a question, Ghost. Before you leave me, can I see your face, so I can truly remember this night?"

"Very well." The ghost peeled back several layers of his hood before revealing a blonde head and blue eyes.

"OWEN?"

"Yeah, it's me Paul. I was sent here to make certain that you would change your ways and stop being such a bastard. Somebody up there is looking out for you, so you better listen to them."

Paul nodded in surprise. "Thank you for helping me. It's nice to see you again." He reached out to hug Owen goodbye.

"Paul? What the hell are you doing?" Steph asked from the doorway. Paul was kneeling on his bed hugging himself. "You really need to see a doctor."

"I don't need a doctor. I need a hug." He smiled and pulled her into a warm embrace. "I love you Steph."

"Uh, great. You're swell too Paul. Get dressed? We have to see my parents today. It's Christmas."

"And my mom. And my sister! And her husband!" He beamed as he spun her around. "Do me a favor? Cancel all the bookings and events until New Years day? I want everyone to be home with their families."

"Are you sure, Paul?"

"I've never been more sure in my whole life. And call the company surgeon? I want to get Matt Hardy an appointment in there as soon as possible for his knee. I have to do something, but I promise I will be at your parents house at noon with presents." He kissed her cheek and ran out the door.

To be continued...FINALE! COMING UP!


	12. A Stamford Christmas Carol

Chapter 12

Paul walked into the Boston Children's hospital with a dozen roses under his arm. He passed the front desk without a word and found his way to the children's ward. "Do you know Alice? Is she here today?" He asked a nurse.

"Oh my GOD! Triple H! Yeah, she's right in here." She pointed to an office. "Alice! The man of your dreams is here!"

"Huh? That's not the man of my dreams, eww. He's my brother." She smiled and hugged him, keeping her stomach out of the way. "I never expected you to be here."

"Me neither. I missed you and I heard about the baby and the husband, so I came to wish you well. It's a boy?"

"Yeah." She smiled brightly. "His name is gonna be Pauly. Can you stay a while?"

He sighed. "No, I have to get back home. But I will come back tomorrow and stay for a day or two." He talked for a few more minutes before rushing back to Stamford. On the way, he made a cell phone call from the highway. "Hello? Amy?"

"Shhh, it's Trips." She waved to the house full of people. "Yeah? I'm sorry about the animal…"

"Don't worry about it." He interrupted. "I just want you to have a merry Christmas with your family. Congratulations on your engagement."

"Uh, thank you? Merry Christmas to you too. How did you know?"

"Word travels fast in this company. Have fun. Bye." He smiled and hung up.

As he pulled up to the McMahon estate for lunch with the family, he parked the car and waved to Shane. "HEY! Nice to see you buddy!"

"I see what you mean. He needs to see a doctor." Shane whispered to Stephanie. "Hi, Paul."

"I need to talk to you for a minute." He said pulling Shane into a tight hug. "Let's go into the office. Once inside, Paul closed the door.

"So what is all this Trips? Putting on a show for the holidays to make yourself look better to the family and the company? It's not going to work. You really did it this time." He scoffed.

"I want us to have equal partnership."

"WHAT? You ARE sick."

"I'm not sick. I'm perfectly fine. I want us to be equal, Shane. Equal say in the decisions, in the bookings, everything. You're the real heir to the throne, not me. I know your dad is going to be pissed, but it will work better this way."

"It won't. Dad would never let a gay man inherit the company! That's why you're marrying my sister! It's easier for you guys to pretend to love each other than for me to pretend to be straight, Paul."

"You're not inheriting the company. Not all of it anyway. Just half. Then when we feel like retiring, we can give it all to Stephanie. She wants it more than we do anyhow and she's younger. Just think about it."

Shane nodded and walked out to the dining room with him.

"Everything okay, guys?" Steph asked softly.

Shane smiled. "It's great. Just Great."

Cameron…

Matt watched Amy on the phone and began to worry. "Let me guess? You have to fly to Iraq to entertain the troops tonight? Or wait? You have to go to Alaska for a Wal-mart opening?"

"No. He just wanted to wish us a happy holiday and congratulate us on the engagement." Amy smiled and sat beside him as the phone rang again. "UGH! Just 5 minutes of peace! Please? Hello? Hi, doctor. No, the neck is great. Why? Did you find something wrong in my last test? Okay, good, so what's up? Matt? January 4th? Great, thank you so much. Merry Christmas!"

"Who was that?" Shan asked.

"The doctor in Texas. Somebody in the company got Matt in for an appointment. They are paying for the whole trip, the hospital stay and everything!" She smiled. "It's been such a great Christmas."

"It sure has. What's the thing that kid says?" He chuckled and spoke in a high, girly voice. "GOD BLESS US! EVERYONE!"

The end….


End file.
